Packaging

ABSTRACT

A childproof blister card useful for medicaments in discrete form openable only by a specific succession of steps. The card has a peelable backing and is perforated to enable the peeling to be started. It also has perforated tabs for access to the contents after removal of the backing.

United States Patent Gerner et al.

PACKAGING Inventors: Daniel F. Gerner, Blackwood, N.J.;

Richard S. Sauter, Laverock, Pa.

Packaging Coordinators Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed: Mar. 28, 1974 Appl. No.: 455,616

US. Cl. 206/531; 206/461; 206/498; 206/820 Int. Cl. B65D 75/42; B65D75/46; B54D 83/04 Field of Search 206/42, 484, 498, 820

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1959 Cox, Jr. 206/42 l/1961Sparks 206/42 [451 Sept. 16, 1975 3,054,503 9/1962 Hartman, Jr., et a1206/42 3,483,845 12/1969 Hartman, Jr 206/42 3,504,788 4/1970 Gray 206/423,809,221 5/1974 Compere 206/42 3,835,995 9/1974 Haines 206/484 PrimaryExaminer-william T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, A gent, or Firm Charles A.McClure 5 7] ABSTRACT A childproof blister card useful for medicamentsin discrete form openable only by a specific succession of steps. Thecard has a peelable backing and is perforated to enable the peeling tobe started. It also has perforated tabs for access to the contents afterremoval of the backing.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PACKAGING This invention relates topackaging of medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form,into discrete article enclosures such as are provided by a blister card,and especially to such a package designed so as to be unlikely to beopenable by a child of insufficient discretion to treat the contentswith due respect.

Blister packaging has become popular in recent years not only for smallautomotive parts, household articles, and micellaneous hardware but alsofor medicaments in capsule, lozenge, or pill form. Because the contentsare visible and often are brightly colored, children are attractedthereto, with substantial risk of injury if they succeed in opening sucha package and ingesting the contents. Accordingly, there is aconsiderable demand to render such packages too difficult to open forchildren too young to realize the potential hazard in doing A primaryobject of the present invention is provision of a blister packagereadily openable by an adult but not by a child.

Another object is improvement in access closures for blister packages.

A further object is requirement of a specific sequence of several stepsfor successful opening of blister packages or the like.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methodsfor attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying diagrams of a specific embodiment ofthe invention, which is presented by way of example rather thanlimitation.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blister card of this invention withthe overlying flap partly cut away to reveal the underlying flap andcontents in part;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the same package taken at IIII on thepreceding view;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the same package opened flat and with part ofthe normally overlying flap cut away;

FIG. 4 is a rear view corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken at V\/ onFIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section, on the same scale as FIG. 5 and takenat VIVI thereon.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the same package at an early stage of beingopened, showing severing thereof along perforations;

FIG. 8 is a like view of the remaining part of the package at a laterstage of being opened, showing the backing being peeled off;

FIG. 9 shows the same package at a still later stage, showing theopening of an access tab along perforations; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same package, on anenlarged scale, at a still later stage, showing the pressing of acapsule through the foil covering an access opening.

In particular, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, ina package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blister card formedicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, by means of afirst strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions thereinoutward from one face and leaving corresponding hollows and openingsthereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relatively rupturable secondstrip adherent to the latter face of the first strip and sealing theopenings therein, a supporting card therefor overlying the second stripover the hollow openings and having an openable access tab opposite eachsuch opening, and a peelable backing overlying at least the part of thecard containing the access tabs without extending to any edge of thecard.

More generally, the invention features the combination of such apeelable backing, a partly underlying perforation or equivalentweakening in the card to facilitate peeling of the backing, suchunderlying access tabs and such underlying access openings covered byrupturable material.

FIG. 1 shows in perspective, and FIG. 2 in edge view from the bottom,package 10 of this invention comprising overlying rectangular flap 11,underlying flap 13 of the like plan, and narrrow rectangular junctionstrip 12 interconnecting them. Flap 11 is partly cut away in FIG. 1 toreveal the underlying flap and contents in part-also shown from below inFIG. 2. Protrusions 19 in a transparent blister strip (23, see laterviews) enclose capsules 18, of which four are shown (spaced in pairsfrom top to bottom and right to left). Stippling of the area surroundingthe capsules in FIG. 1 indicates a foil layer (25, see later views)visible through the transparent blister strip.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the same package, opened flat, from front and rear,respectively. Rear flap 13, which is plain overall, is largely cut away,but front flap 11 is shown in its entirety. Not previously visible butshown here is diagonal perforated line 16, which crosses from the upperedge to intersect vertical fold perforation 15, thereby outlining cornertab 20 of the flap. As is apparent from the rear view in FIG. 4, thecorner tab partly underlies transparent film backing 29 which isgenerally rectangular but smaller than the flap and does not extend toany edge of the flap. The backing completely covers all four access tabs28 visible therethrough, each of which is opposite one of the openingsleft in the blister strip by formation of the protrusions oppositelydirected therein.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show, considerably enlarged, sections taken throughmultiple-layered portions of the package as indicated on FIGS. 3 and 5.First and second layers 21 and 27 of the flap sandwich thenon-protruding portions of blister strip 23 and foil layer 25 over andsealing the openings therein. First layer 21 has openings therein toaccommodate protrusions 19 of the blister strip and each correspondinghollow holds capsule 18 with contents 22 therein. Each of the accesstabs is bounded by parallel rows 26 of perforations perpendicular andjoined to opposite ends of slits 24, with neither slit nor perforationalong the remaining side.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are sequential views, at stages in opening theillustrated embodiment of the invention, taken looking at the rear side,with hands shown in phantom overlying the views where appropriate. Thus,as shown in FIG. 7, with the respective flaps opened and coplanar, aperson can grip flap l1, junction strip 12, and corner tab 20 of flap 13in the right hand and the rest of flap 13 in the left hand. This enablesthe tab to be severed along the diagonal perforated line shownpreviously, together with the junction strip, along the rest .ofvertical perforated fold line 15, and flap 11. (The remnant flap isredesignated 13'.) Then gripping the exposed corner of backing 29 withthe left hand while holding onto the marginal part of flap 13 notcovered by the backing permits the backing to be peeled off, as shown inFIG. 8. Finally, by inserting a fingernail into one of the slits 24, onecan grip an access tab and pull it open along perforated lines 26. (Theopened tab is redesignated 28'.) Foil 25, which did not rupture when thetab was opened, is exposed through the resulting rectangular opening andcontinues to cover the underlying capsule. Finally, as shown in FIG. 10,depressing the corresponding blister protrusion with a finger forces thecapsule to erupt through the foil and to the exterior.

First and second layers 21 and 27 of the card are conventionally formedfrom a single sheet of tag paper or the like, suitably punched out andperforated, adhesively coated (as with polyethylene) on one face, andfolded over to sandwich other components of the package. Blister strip23 is conventionally made of transparent plastic, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), from which protrusions 19 are vacuum-formed in the usualmanner, spaced at regular intervals so as to protrude through punchedopenings in the first layer of the card sheet. Before being sandwichedby the card material the blister strip has its protrusions filled withthe articles being packaged, whereupon foil strip 25 (usually a laminatewith a central paper layer sandwiched by thin metal layers) is securedthereto, as by heat-sealing. Then the layers of card material arejuxtaposed, with the blister strip and foil therebetween, and are sealedto one another, usually by application of heat and pressure. Thediscrete pieces of film backing 29 are applied next or at any subsequentstage as may be desired, being formed of appropriately transparent andadherent material. Such a film of polyester (such as polyethyleneterephthalate), for example, is heat sealed to the exposed side of thesecond layer of card material at cations destined to become flap 13 andmultiples thereof. Then perforation lines 15, 16, and 17 are formed inthe resulting two-ply card material, and individual cards are cut orstamped therefrom.

The end result is a package that requires sequential severing ofperforations between non-connecting edges (as compared with connectingedges of an external corner, for instance), peeling the backing off, andopening an access tab-which necessitates rupturing of the second paperlayer of the card along perforated lines-and finally forcing a capsulethrough the foil layer and an access opening by depression of theopposite blisterlike protrusion. Each of these several steps issufficiently demanding that a young child can be expected to fail toaccomplish one or more of them. Moreover, even if performableindividually, they pose the additional problems of being necessarilysequential and sufficiently time-consuming to be discouraging to a childwho may be merely playing or who lacks the ability to concentrate longenough on the task to release the contents. A child able to perform allthe steps in sequence so as to reach the contents should have sufficientunderstanding and discretion to avoid ingesting such contents. Thesafety factor presented by such packaging will tend to protect adultswho are too befuddled (as by age, drink, or drugs) to cope with the taskof opening the package.

Although a particular embodiment has been shown and described,modifications may be made therein, as by adding, combining, orsubdividing parts or steps, or substituting equivalents, while retainingsignificant advantages and benefits of the invention, which itself isdefined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. In a package having discrete article enclosures. such as a blistercard for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, theimprovement comprising a first strip having a blister-like protrusionformed therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding hollowand an opening thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relativelyrupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first andsealing the opening, a supporting card including a first layer ofmaterial juxtaposed to the first face of the first strip and having anopening therein to accommodate the protrusion and including a secondlayer of material juxtaposed to the first layer and overlying the secondstrip, the second layer having a perforated access tab in the partthereof opposite the corresponding hollow opening, and a solid filmbacking overlying and adherent to the perforated part of the secondlayer and peelable therefrom.

2. Package according to claim 1, wherein the first and second layers ofsupporting material are adherent together and to parts of the first andsecond strips in contact therewith.

3. Package according to claim 1, wherein the access tab is at leastpartly outlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit thereinto'facilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along theperforation.

4. Package according to claim 1, wherein the supporting material isperforated from an edge to and underlying a corner of the peelable filmto facilitate initiation of peeling thereof.

5. A blister card for child-proof packaging of medicaments in discretecapsule, lozenge, or pill form. comprising a non-rupturable transparentplastic strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions thereinoutward from one face and leaving a corresponding plurality of hollowsand openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a rupturable foilstrip adherent to the latter face of the plastic strip and sealing theopenings therein, a supporting card portion including a first paperlayer juxtaposed to the first face of the plastic strip and having oneor more openings therein to accommodate the protrusions and including asecond paper layer overlying the foil strip and the first paper layerand adherent thereto, the second paper layer having perforated accesstabs in the parts thereof opposite the corresponding hollow openings,and a relatively non-rupturable transparent film backing overlying andadherent to the access tabs and surrounding part of the second paperlayer and peelable therefrom, the adherent first and second paper layershaving a corner tab formed therein and outlined by perforationunderlying a corner of the peelable backing to facilitate initiation ofpeeling thereof, and the perforated access tabs of the second paperlayer being exposable by peeling of the backing therefrom and slitted tofacilitate initiation of opening thereof along the perforations.

6. Blister card according to claim 5, wherein the perforation of theadherent paper layers includes transverse edge-to-edge perforationenabling the card to be folded flap-like to cover the blister-likeprotrusions and their contents, and wherein the comer tab perforationfor facilitating peeling of the backing extends diagonally from an edgeof the card to intersection with such transverse edge-to-edgeperforation.

7. Blister card according to claim 6, wherein the perforated access tabsof the second paper layer exposable by peeling the backing therefrom arerectangular in outline, having two opposite edges perforated, oneintervening edge slitted, and the other intervening edge neitherperforated nor slitted.

8. In a blister card the combination of a first strip having a pluralityof blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face, and leavingcorresponding hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite facethereof, a relatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latterface of the first strip and sealing the openings therein, a supportingcard therefor overlying the second strip over the openings and having anopenable access tab opposite each opening, and a peelable backingoverlying at least the part of the card containing the access tabswithout extending to any edge of the card.

9. Blister card according to claim 8, wherein the card has a tabperforated from one or more edges to and underlying an edge portion ofthe backing to facilitate initiating peeling removal thereof.

10. Blister card according to claim 8, wherein each of the access tabsis outlined at least in part by perforations.

11. In a package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blistercard for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, theimprovement comprising a first, non-rupturable strip having ablister-like protrusion formed therein outward from one face and leavinga corresponding hollow and an opening thereinto at the opposite facethereof, a rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of thefirst and sealing the opening, a supporting card including a layer ofmaterial secured at one face to the hollowed face of the first strip andhaving an openable access tab in the part thereof overlying thecorresponding hollow opening, and a non-rupturable backing stripoverlying the access tab and adherent to part of the second strip andpeelable therefrom.

12. Package according to claim 11, wherein the backing strip istransparent.

13. Package according to claim 12, wherein the access tab is visiblethrough the backing strip and is at least partly outlined by perforationof the second layer and by a slit therein to facilitate initiation ofopening of the access tab along the perforation.

14. Package according to claim 11, wherein the supporting material has aline of weakness from an edge thereof underlying a part of the peelablebacking strip to facilitate separation of the supporting materialtherealong preparatory to initiation of peeling thereof.

15. Package according to claim 14, wherein that edge of the supportingmaterial extends beyond the adjacent edge of the backing strip andthereby exposes an end portion of the line of weakness in the supportingmaterial, thereby further facilitating initiation of peeling.

16. In a blister card having a plurality of blister-like protrusionstherein outward from one face, and leaving corresponding hollows andopenings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, relatively rupturablematerial overlying and sealing the openings therein, supporting materialtherefor overlying the rupturable material and the underlying openingsand having an openable access tab overlying each opening, and a peelablenonrupturable backing overlying at least the part of the card containingthe access tabs.

17. Blister card according to claim 16, wherein the access tabsexposable bypeeling the backing therefrom have an edge slitted tofacilitate opening thereof.

18. Blister card according to claim 16, wherein the supporting materialhas a tab portion outlined by one or more edges thereon and a line ofweakness therebetween, and the backing overlies only part of such line,whereby rupturing of the supporting material along such line as toremove said tab facilitates initiation of peeling of the backing fromthe rest of the supporting material to expose the parts of therupturable material overlying the access tabs.

19. Blister card according to claim 18, wherein the card has a comer tabdefined by perforation thereof from one or more edges to and underlyingan edge portion of the backing to facilitate initiating peeling removalthereof.

20. Blister card according to claim 19, wherein the backing is limitedin peripheral extent to leave at least part of such perforationuncovered thereby.

1. In a package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blistercard for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, theimprovement comprising a first strip having a blister-like protrusionformed therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding hollowand an opening thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relativelyrupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first andsealing the opening, a supporting card including a first layer ofmaterial juxtaposed to the first face of the first strip and having anopening therein to accommodate the protrusion and including a secondlayer of material juxtaposed to the first layer and overlying the secondstrip, the second layer having a perforAted access tab in the partthereof opposite the corresponding hollow opening, and a solid filmbacking overlying and adherent to the perforated part of the secondlayer and peelable therefrom.
 2. Package according to claim 1, whereinthe first and second layers of supporting material are adherent togetherand to parts of the first and second strips in contact therewith. 3.Package according to claim 1, wherein the access tab is at least partlyoutlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit therein tofacilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along theperforation.
 4. Package according to claim 1, wherein the supportingmaterial is perforated from an edge to and underlying a corner of thepeelable film to facilitate initiation of peeling thereof.
 5. A blistercard for child-proof packaging of medicaments in discrete capsule,lozenge, or pill form, comprising a non-rupturable transparent plasticstrip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outwardfrom one face and leaving a corresponding plurality of hollows andopenings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a rupturable foil stripadherent to the latter face of the plastic strip and sealing theopenings therein, a supporting card portion including a first paperlayer juxtaposed to the first face of the plastic strip and having oneor more openings therein to accommodate the protrusions and including asecond paper layer overlying the foil strip and the first paper layerand adherent thereto, the second paper layer having perforated accesstabs in the parts thereof opposite the corresponding hollow openings,and a relatively non-rupturable transparent film backing overlying andadherent to the access tabs and surrounding part of the second paperlayer and peelable therefrom, the adherent first and second paper layershaving a corner tab formed therein and outlined by perforationunderlying a corner of the peelable backing to facilitate initiation ofpeeling thereof, and the perforated access tabs of the second paperlayer being exposable by peeling of the backing therefrom and slitted tofacilitate initiation of opening thereof along the perforations. 6.Blister card according to claim 5, wherein the perforation of theadherent paper layers includes transverse edge-to-edge perforationenabling the card to be folded flap-like to cover the blister-likeprotrusions and their contents, and wherein the corner tab perforationfor facilitating peeling of the backing extends diagonally from an edgeof the card to intersection with such transverse edge-to-edgeperforation.
 7. Blister card according to claim 6, wherein theperforated access tabs of the second paper layer exposable by peelingthe backing therefrom are rectangular in outline, having two oppositeedges perforated, one intervening edge slitted, and the otherintervening edge neither perforated nor slitted.
 8. In a blister cardthe combination of a first strip having a plurality of blister-likeprotrusions therein outward from one face, and leaving correspondinghollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, arelatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of thefirst strip and sealing the openings therein, a supporting card thereforoverlying the second strip over the openings and having an openableaccess tab opposite each opening, and a peelable backing overlying atleast the part of the card containing the access tabs without extendingto any edge of the card.
 9. Blister card according to claim 8, whereinthe card has a tab perforated from one or more edges to and underlyingan edge portion of the backing to facilitate initiating peeling removalthereof.
 10. Blister card according to claim 8, wherein each of theaccess tabs is outlined at least in part by perforations.
 11. In apackage having discrete article enclosures, such as a blister card formedicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, theimprovement comprising a first, non-rupturable strip haviNg ablister-like protrusion formed therein outward from one face and leavinga corresponding hollow and an opening thereinto at the opposite facethereof, a rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of thefirst and sealing the opening, a supporting card including a layer ofmaterial secured at one face to the hollowed face of the first strip andhaving an openable access tab in the part thereof overlying thecorresponding hollow opening, and a non-rupturable backing stripoverlying the access tab and adherent to part of the second strip andpeelable therefrom.
 12. Package according to claim 11, wherein thebacking strip is transparent.
 13. Package according to claim 12, whereinthe access tab is visible through the backing strip and is at leastpartly outlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit thereinto facilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along theperforation.
 14. Package according to claim 11, wherein the supportingmaterial has a line of weakness from an edge thereof underlying a partof the peelable backing strip to facilitate separation of the supportingmaterial therealong preparatory to initiation of peeling thereof. 15.Package according to claim 14, wherein that edge of the supportingmaterial extends beyond the adjacent edge of the backing strip andthereby exposes an end portion of the line of weakness in the supportingmaterial, thereby further facilitating initiation of peeling.
 16. In ablister card having a plurality of blister-like protrusions thereinoutward from one face, and leaving corresponding hollows and openingsthereinto at the opposite face thereof, relatively rupturable materialoverlying and sealing the openings therein, supporting material thereforoverlying the rupturable material and the underlying openings and havingan openable access tab overlying each opening, and a peelablenon-rupturable backing overlying at least the part of the cardcontaining the access tabs.
 17. Blister card according to claim 16,wherein the access tabs exposable by peeling the backing therefrom havean edge slitted to facilitate opening thereof.
 18. Blister cardaccording to claim 16, wherein the supporting material has a tab portionoutlined by one or more edges thereon and a line of weaknesstherebetween, and the backing overlies only part of such line, wherebyrupturing of the supporting material along such line as to remove saidtab facilitates initiation of peeling of the backing from the rest ofthe supporting material to expose the parts of the rupturable materialoverlying the access tabs.
 19. Blister card according to claim 18,wherein the card has a corner tab defined by perforation thereof fromone or more edges to and underlying an edge portion of the backing tofacilitate initiating peeling removal thereof.
 20. Blister cardaccording to claim 19, wherein the backing is limited in peripheralextent to leave at least part of such perforation uncovered thereby.